Gem
the vixen....Gem the enchantress...
Golden eyes looked towards the sun, the light catching the brilliance
within them. She lounged, knowing that she would be found, knowing that
she would be kept, be protected. She didn't need to search for that... it
found her well enough on its own. Instinctively, she knew that she could
rely on merely her looks alone. They had always helped her, always aided
her when she needed it most.
When she had been labeled the enchantress, it hadn't been a lie.
Unwillingly, and almost subconsciously, she had led people into trusting
her with her outward innocence, and fooled them into believing that she
was something she was not. She was scared, and she specialized in making
herself noticeable so that she didn't have to face the world alone. She
took pride in her ability to lure people into protecting her. She knew how
to gain the trust of others with merely a word. It was a betrayal as
bitter as a nasty draught.
Gem practiced the art of deception since childhood, and when she finally
joined the Serians bonded to Talia, she let her guard down a bit, knowing
that she would no longer have to search for a home and companions. She had
a place that she belonged... but old habits died hard. Although none of
her other Serian companions seemed to have a problem with her, she
continually sought out the fields, looking for those that she could easily
ensnare.
SilverRain was her newest companion, her self appointed protector and
adoptive brother. Paired off to the beautiful Tinsel, they made a good
pair... but Gem couldn't help but be jealous that his attention was
elsewhere, no matter the situation. Bridle tended to avoid her. Being the
oldest, he saw through her ruse, and decided that friendly but cautious
was the way to go. Tatter wouldn't even look at her... something in his
eyes sparked some hidden reserve of emotion. So she clung to Silver like a
shield from the world, but occasionally, the past would come rushing back
to meet her...
~~~~~~~~~~
Quiet and meek, she trudged along, merely doing as she was told, those
once brilliant eyes dimmed to a mere dull yellow, flattened by weariness,
and shaded by memories.
She looked up, only to feel the sharp lick of pain, that acid tongue
lashing against her flank like a sliver of a burning brand. She didn't
even wince now. She had come to expect it, come to almost welcome the
pain, for the pain was the only thing that kept her sane, kept her
attached to reality. It reminded her that she was still living, that she
hadn't joined the ranks of the living dead. The others were long dead....
Sweat dripped down her muddied coat, the sunshine yellow marred by
splashes of brown and red, the blood and dirt of her labour. She knew that
to stop was to die, so she continued, merely clinging to the thought of
life.... one day, someday. If she pleased them enough, maybe they would
stop.. if she did as she was told, they would let her be. And then she
wouldn't have to pretend. Unconsciously, she gnawed at her halter, her
teeth tearing at the worn material. For all she knew, it was made of
metal.... no matter how much she tore it, it never broke.
She collapsed, feeling the cold muck slap noisily against her face, her
tangled and tattered tail and mane a discernable shade of muted blue, her
red markings blending in with her scarred hide....
~~~~~~~~~~
She snapped to, and whinnied in alarm, barreling headlong into the fields
of Sionayra... the comfort of freedom and the wind, devoid of humans,
devoid of physical contact. There she could lose herself, forget. Forget
everything that she once knew and live merely on instinct and the barest
emotions. There, she could do what she wished.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Tatter felt it... felt the feeling. Knew it well. She was his sister in
bondage. Only the past could harm them now. |